Soft Ball Is a Very Interesting Game! It’s surely a hard-hearted softball that wouldn’t like to be hit for a homer by any one of these coed diamond Queens at Northwestern university, Evanston, 111., famous for its beautiful women. As soon as classes are over for the day the girls hike out for some exercise to keep curves under control. His License Plates Wow ’Em —Ill.I.nil dsmmmm Walter Ozro Wooster, a pet shop owner of Waterbury, Conn., points to his license plates, “W. O. W.” which replace the regular numerals on his 1938 plates. Every person in Connecticut who drives for a period of ten or more years without having a traffic violation or other police charge against him may use his initials on%is plates instead of numerals. Mr. Wooster, who has been driving with a clear record since 1916, is shown during a recent visit to New York. ORCHIDS FOR MARION Marion Talley, dainty star of the opera and radio, is planning to use her spare time to raise orchids at her home near Hollywood, Calif. It takes seven years to grow the costly flowers from seeds to blossoms, the price of which ranges from $4 up ward. A full-grown orchid plant costs from $45 to $5,000, depending on the variety. Marion is shown ex amining an orchid, one of the vari | cty she may have in her collection. THINKING IT OVER r \ — :.:o. t in One of the very few bearded chess players in competition, L. Frins of Holland was confronted with a dif ficult problem during the Interna tional Chess congress at Margate, England, recently. Chess experts from many countries matched their skill in the ancient game. Prize Winners Glum Over Victory Some of the victors in baby health competitions at the Colony house in Brooklyn recently refused to welcome their triumphs with smiles. Left to right, George Planco, Marion Pietrowski, Arthur Rynander and Joan Marie Hubiak. The contest awards were on the basis of general health and had added significance because the institution is celebrating the twenty-fifth anniversary of its founding. Defenders Ready for the Japanese In a trench somewhere along the south bank of the Yellow river in south Shantung province, a Chinese trench mortar crew is on the alert and ready to beat back an attack of the Japanese troops. These warriors are among the defenders in south Shantung where the Sino-Japanese forces have been locked for weeks In a major struggle. Scenes and Persons in the Current News 1—Gov. Philip I.aFollette, announcing the formation of a new third party, the "National Progressive Party of America,” is campaigning to organize the Middle West. 2—Relchsfuelirer Adolf Hitler of Germany and Premier Mussolini who met in Rome on the occasion of Hitler’s triumphal visit to Italy. 3—Brig. Gen. Barton K. Yount, named assistant to the chief of the United States air corps for a term of four years by President Roosevelt. Irish Wit vs. Yank Diplomacy — .-Ml .• I 111 —MIir'a ..- >:■:*»»»» George Bernard Shaw, left, chatting with Joseph P. Kennedy, Ameri can ambassador to London, following a ceremony which took place at Ken sington, London, recently In which the famous Irish dramatist received the deeds of the national theater on behalf of the executive committee. URGES DEFENSE With war scares bobbing up all over the world, the United States must be assured a plentiful supply of “strategic minerals,” Dr. John W. Finch, director of the bureau of mines, announced in a memoran dum to the press. He urges a tariff protection and stock-piling program to solve defense problems with re spect to manganese (No. 1 "stra tegic mineral”), nickel, chromium, aluminum and other metals. “Baby” Senator Reduces Weight In deference to his waistline, Sen. Rush Holt of West Virginia, "baby” member of the United States senate, keeps a ping pong table In his of fice, where he indulges in this exer cise between sessions. Here you sec the senator in a bit of fast play. Ball Players Advertise Fair Members of the University of California baseball team will help ad vertise the 1939 San Francisco World’s fair on Its barnstorming trip throughout the United States. On the sleeve of each player will be sewed an emblem featuring the exposition. Lois Sherman is seen sewing the emblem on Sam Chapman’s sleeve. The trip takes the team to the campuses of 22 leading universities and colleges. Ireland’s New President at Home Dr. Douglas Hyde, new president of Eire (Irish Free State), shown seated among his grandchildren at the home of his daughter, Mrs. J. Sealy, at Donny brook, Ireland. Dr. Hyde, a noted Irish scholar, is a Protestant and the son of a Protestant clergyman. Who Killed John Robbin? By RAY SAPFRSTETN © Wheeler Syndicate. Inc. WNU Service. ON WEEK days Mr. Benjamin Tellifer sold ribbons, laces, ho siery and underwear in Allenville’s leading dry goods emporium to sat isfy his body, but Sundays and eve nings he spent in a manner suited to the needs of his soul—which called for detective stories. In his youth Mr. Tellifer had har bored a praiseworthy ambition to be the world’s greatest sleuth, to make his name and fame a terror to evil doers the world over. But a certain young lady, to whom he was then engaged, objected to a life devoted to the pursuit of crime, and made it clear that no man. though other wise possessing all the qualities dear to a maiden’s heart, could fol low such a profession, and still aspire to her hand. So Mr. Tellifer married the lady, and thereafter read about sleuths instead of being one himself. He was alone in the house one evening, reading "The Mystery of the Headless Guards," a truly de lightful tale. SHORT SHORT STORY Complete in This Issue Mr. Tellifer laid down the book with a sigh of regret. He would have enjoyed a tussle with a gang like that, but Allenville offered few opportunities for a brave sleuth to distinguish himself. The majority of its inhabitants were too honest, or. at least, too law-abiding, to commit a crime worth noticing, and too poor to tempt criminals from other lo calities. Now, the Robbin house— Mr. Tellifer rose and looked hope fully through the window at the house in question. It was very much like the ^homes described in the choicest criminal literature. Its owner was undoubtedly eccentric. He lived alone, a cleaning-woman the sole outsider to enter it. And judging by the hints she dropped, the place contained not only silver, linen and handsome rugs, but treas ure of all kinds safely hidden from sight under lock and key. From where he sjood he could see only a small portion of his neigh bor's library, and that was almost obscured by an enormous bookcase. He was about to turn away, with a sigh, when he saw Mr. Robbin ap proach this article of furniture, saw his hand extended to remove a book from one of its shelves, and then sink to the floor as though felled by an unseen hand. Mr. Tellifer did not dally. In five seconds his neighbor’s door had yielded to his touch, and he was bending over the old gentleman, who was lying on his back, blood from a wound in his temple saturating his thick, silver hair. Close by lay a small bronze Mercury. Mr. Tellifer picked it up, and de duced rapidly. “Dead as a door nail,” said he. “Somebody sneaked up from behind, and cracked his skull with this thing.” He looked around, opened as many closets as he could find, and walked through every room in the house. He examined the floor for footprints, and scrutinized the grass beneath the windows to see if it had tyeen disturbed. Nothing rewarded his efforts. Reluctantly he went up to the telephone and called head quarters. UU1 lull) Ulv UMOVYtltU. “What did you say?” he demanded, “Murder? A murder in Allenville?” "That’s what I’m telling you,” re plied Mr. Tellifer, trying to keep the elation out of his voice. “I’m in Mr. Robbin’s house, and he’s lying on the floor with a hole in his head. I’m looking around for clues.” Mr. Tellifer waited patiently un til the sound of heavy boots told him that Horton had arrived. With him was A1 Bush and Phil Baker, Allen ville’s entire police force. He es corted them, with due solemnity, to the library. But here a shock await ed him. The dead man had raised himself on an elbow.” "What are you doing in my house?” demanded Mr. John Rob bin. There was an awkward silence be fore Jim Horton answered, apolo getically. “Er ... Er ... I thought you were dead” "Did you, indeed?” returned Mr. Robbin. He arose, dusted his trousers, and wiped the blood away from his in jured temple. “Well, if it will re lieve your feelings any, I’ll assure you that I’m not. I was reaching for a book when this statuette, which that fool of a cleaning woman placed on top of the bookcase, where it could do the most damage, fell and hit me on the head. But I’m all right now, and as I have some im portant work to do, and your pres ence isn't going to help me do it—” They took the hint. Outside the house the police force expressed it self vigorously, if not elegantly. Mr. Tellifer would have been pained at some of the epithets applied to him, had he been listening, but he wasn’t. He was thinking that even he, vora cious reader of detective tales though he was, had never heard of a corpse coming to life and destroy ing all a sleuth's carefyl deductions.